Please correct/direct me---John 14:1-21

[Duane]

I am not NEW to the FORUM so i don't desire to "waste" a moderators' time enlightening me, when they may DIRECT me to something already written--as if I were NEW and unable to navigate around the message boards-myself.

So, in reading "Our Daily Bread" I compared "Babylon's thinking" to what I've learned here.  Am I enlightened or wrong?
I am very aware of our human tendency of anthropomorphism in relating things SPIRITUAL to things PHYSICAL.  This
web-site opened my eyes to the fact that Heaven isn't physical real estate that is floating in space 144 miles L/W/H, that we spiritual beings are going to be walking around on "like downtown".  The Book of Revelations is SPIRITUAL.
So, I picture Heaven and my "mansion--that is being prepared for me"--like a person who has a special helmet on and sees a different REALITY than the body is in.  So we will EXPERIENCE Heaven very real but in a hollowgram form.  If I want, in my spiritual body, to see my mansion--there it is, if I want to be in it--there I am-- BUT it's ALL just a reality in my head!  Real to me!
Same with the CHURCH preaching re: people in Hell!  Re: Ray--DID WE FORGET WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL BODY?  Can you shoot, strangle, burn a ghost/spirit?  Do spirits have nervous systems?  No!  SO there goes "torment forever in Hell"!  So far so good?
Lastly, how is my mansion furnished?  Is my spiritual body going to need to sit on my LAZY BOY for a rest?  Food in "frig".?

[Kat]

Hi Duane,

In Scripture they sometimes use a dwelling to represent the physical body, like a "tent."

2Cor 5:1  For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
v. 2  Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling,
v. 3  so that by putting it on we may not be found naked.
v. 4  For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Now if you would try to compare our physical "tent" with what our spiritual body would be like you could say it is a "mansion."

John 14:2  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The body, both physical and spiritual is what holds the essence of a being, the character, personality and very nature of who that being is.

In Rev. 21 when "New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven," this represents the kingdom of Christ and the Elect. It speaks of the streets of gold and the walls all covered with jewels, this of course is not literal. But these are extraordinary things, unique, rare and precious that represents the qualities/essences of the city/kingdom/beings of which this is made of.

1Cor 3:11  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
v. 12  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
v. 13  each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
v. 14  If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
v. 15  If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
v. 16  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
v. 17  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

So don't think of a actual building, because the mansions, like the temple are the people that may it up, not with walls of a building at all. Jesus said "I go to prepare a place for you," He is preparing "a bride," the Elect to reign with Him.

Rev 21:2  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Hope this helps

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Duane]

Kat...Read your answer and it sure made a lot of sense!  We have all sung "I've got a mansion--just over the hill top-in that great land where--we'll never grow old---"  Then I got to thinking "where in the Bible does it mention this great metropolis
consisting of millions and million's of Christians mansions?  That would make quite a humungous city to not mentiion in the Bible--
dontchathink??  Especially if all the mansions had large yards to play croquet in, and have bar-b-ques to say nothing of tennis courts and swimming pools--so we SPIRITS can dive in and cool off! 
I guess it makes scriptural sense that our "mansions" that God is preparing for us is OUR HEAVENLY BODIES!  Well, duh!!  But
that's what we are taught in church--and SWALLOW-- without ever questioning!
Thanx AGAIN for the insight--I AM catching on--slowly but Shirley! LOL.

[bob]

Once again Kat has, as far as I am concerned nailed it  Bob

[Phil3:10]

Kat is a blessing for all on this site and her dedication is very special.

[gmik]

kAT, that scripture always gives me chills!

Duane- I always loved that old song "I've got a mansion just over the hilltops, in that bright land where we will never grow old, and someday yonder, we will never more wander, but walk on streets that are paved in gold-are paved in gold"

Even tho the melody still is lovely, it is really shallow isn't it?

- again all ME- I have a mansion- I won't ever get old-and yippee best of all the streets are gold!!!

thank you Lord for dragging me out of Babylon! (gosh, I hope I didn't sound proud- cuz I am so humbled "he saved a wretch like me!"